how do you do it...keeping up that is..

[KimB]

My house always looks like a bomb has hit it. My kitchen is falling apart (literally) and I don't have room for the dishwasher so the dishes sit in the sink until we need them and then I wash. DD1 is supposed to do the kitchen and the bathroom and her room for pocket money but she never does it. I clean the bathroom as I really hate a dirty bathroom and ours is all white. Clothes washing gets done every day but sometimes it is only 1 load, sometimes it is 8. The kids lounge room is supposed to be cleaned by the boys but they hate doing it (even for money) so toys are everywhere. I mop when I have to, dusting (what's that lol)

When we get a bit more financially stable I am going to hire a cleaner for once a week. I just can't keep on top of anything. I try but 5 minutes after I have cleaned it looks like I still haven't touched it in weeks and it gets demoralising.

[~Lashes~]

I think I have found the answer. My DS2 (aged 5) has spent all afternoon cleaning and vaccuming, without being asked! I think he has finally gotten sick of a messy house and decided to resolve the issue himself Either that or he is after a pocketmoney raise. Doesn't matter, then end result is the house looks great

WOW!! Traveller, can we swap 5yo's??? ppplease?!! mine throws things arround the house, and claims to 'prefer' the mess!!

[Astrolady]

Has anyone found that this thread has motivated them just a little bit? I cleaned out our bookcase today and cleaned out our cup cupboard which was overflowing. I also did 7 loads of washing, which are now all on the line ready to come in after a bit of sunshine tomorrow.

Tomorrow I am attacking my linen press. 1 reason mainly. Need to find the bird cage seed catcher LOL.

[~Lashes~]

nope, it hasnt! i have done 3 loads of washing today, the third is still in the machine beeping at me to be hung out, and thats it!
other then that im still 'finding' the motivation, once i find it im going threw everything and doing a chuck out, yet again.
might take a while as i HATE throwing things out!!!

[Gigi]

solutions working for me:

- WALL DECOR - no textas for DD to use
- TOYS - her toys are in baskets, the rule is "one basket out at a time"
- DISHES - i found FLY LADY overwhelming too, but one concept i remembered and use now, is to start a sink of dishes, just tell myself, it's ok, you don't have to do them all, just have a go for ten mins. Generally, once i'm started, i get in the groove, feel good to see a rack full of clean dishes, feel like i've accomplished something.
- WASHING - i have two plastic round things with pegs on them. i hang them on cupboard handles, so DD can reach them, and get her to peg up her own socks, knickers. She likes to help and it saves me doing it.
- IRONING - i have clothes hangers in my laundry basket. Tshirts, sweatshirts etc, i hang on hangers when wet. Hang them up like that (instead of pegging). I let gravity do the "ironing" for me. Plus i don't like the peg indents LOL.
- VACUMMING - i'm recently separated - DD gets scared of the vacuum cleaner, so i tend to leave the vacumming until when DD is with her father.
- NIGHTLY PREP FOR NEXT DAY< THE NIGHT BEFORE. Everything ready for breakfast (bar milk) on the table. DD's hair stuff in box on table. DD's clothes in a pile on her drawers, get her dressed BEFORE breakfast. My clothes in a pile, ready to put on. My handbag ready to go, the bag we need for the day, ready to go. No tv on in the mornings, so no distraction. If everything is achieved, and there is time before we need to leave, THEN i'll put the telly on. (just for 10 mins for example).
I know i'm such a cornflake head in the morning, if i DON"T do this Night Time Prep, we are SOOOO late. cos i just don't function well in the mornings.

- CHILD IN NAPPIES - when bilby was in nappies, i had the nappy going out bag, ready to go AT ALL TIMES, so whenever we went out, that was one less thing to think about. (apart from adding food and water bottle).
- CHILD IN TOILET TRAINING STAGE - when bilby was toilet trainign, i had the TT-ing bag, ready to go AT ALL TIMES, for same reason.

what's not working for us

- NOWHERE TO HIDE IT - living in tiny place, nowhere to "hide" or "stash" mess or undone housework, if it's not done, it's IN YOUR FACE and obvious to all
- DINNER TIME FOOD - i'm really struggling with the evening meal. i have a super fussy eater, i have memory problems and at the moment, have literally forgotten how to cook many things i used to cook. Feeling so anxious, i am not finding recipe books helpful either. too many decisions and i know from years of experience, DD prolly won't eat it anyhoo. so frustrated.

i've only got one child, and am a single mother (now), i too am so amazed and in awe, of how the mums with multiple kids, do it all, and seem to do it all so well. i struggle just with one child.

[~Kaz~]

Great thread! I am definitely not on top of housework most of the time and when I am it only lasts a day or so. I only have one child but I do work part time outside the home.

Basically I prioritise the things that bug me the most or absolutely have to be done. And I try to keep the 'public' areas of the house presentable. So the kitchen is always quite clean and tidy because it drives me bonkers when it's not and it's the centre of our house. Nappies are done every second day, usually right after DS goes to bed. I chuck toys into their tubs and recently went through all the toys and divided them into small canvas storage boxes in the laundry and I rotate them. He never played with them all at once and the toy pile is so much more manageable (prior to this they were literally taking over the lounge room). So now he gets 'new' toys every couple of weeks and I got my lounge room back.

Other than that I close the doors (bathroom, study, bedroom) and try not to think about it when I'm behind those closed doors LOL! With the bedroom I do keep my side tidy.

I guess it depends on your standards and how realistic/achievable they are in the time/energy you have available for housework. My standards have dropped a bit since being with DP so long (his natural state is mess) and combining mothering with working outside the home. I would be a nutcase now if I tried to keep this house spotless. Having said all of that, I am planning a major overhaul of the study. We seem to do a room every few months. The last room I attacked was the laundry. Now just working up the motivation to really get into the study. It's full on and overwhelming but I'm planning to break it down into smaller tasks/areas and give myself permission for it to take a while........

[leesha]

Having a dishwasher has been my time saver!! I often have guilt because some days no cleaning gets done and DH has been at work for 12 hours.....does he think I do nothing??? He never says anything but I do have the guilt because before kids my days off work were used to clean up!
I just thought one day a while ago "you know what the washing can wait, the vacuming can be done tomorrow" and I just played all day with the kids and you could see the glee in their eyes!!!! It was priceless...so now I have a designated cleaning day and it is usually while the kids are having an afternoon sleep which I get nearly 2 hours to do!!!

[MrsBexie]

I can't even cook dinner and clean with one!!
What am I going to be like with 2??

[Taurean]

I have a cleaner and DH and I are oh so happy DH insisted, I felt bad (such a luxury, especially when I'm a SAHM) but it's awesome if you can afford it. I'm house proud and not having to worrying about full on house work takes away so much stress!

We have a dishwasher which I unpack while eating breakfast most mornings. I hand wash DD's bottles and sippy cups (anal, I know) either after unpacking the dishwasher or after dinner.

I tidy up DD's toys when ever she goes down for a sleep so our lounge area is tidy again. I'm a 'list' person so even packing it all up a few times a day makes me feel like I've ticked things off my list, ITMS.

I use my slow cooker quite a bit or I cook simple meals - grilled meat and veg or salad, easy pastas, etc.

I always make my bed in the morning. Another thing ticked off my imaginary list which makes me feel better, like I've achieved something.

I do the washing 2-3 times a week. I try to put it away as soon as it's dry so it's out of the way - another thing to tick off my 'list'.

I don't iron. I only iron just before wearing and only if the clothes need it. Saves heaps of time!

We have an amazing strip of shops walking distance from home so we shop most days and incorporate it into some exercise. I rarely do a big grocery shop. Some say it would cost more but I'm not sure. I only buy what's on the list most the time and don't 'browse' like I do in big supermarkets.

[Taurean]

I can't even cook dinner and clean with one!!
What am I going to be like with 2??

Hon, I felt like that when DD was little. I was always entertaining before I fell PG and wondered if I'd ever do that again - oh, and housework!! Things do return to normal, you'll find your groove again soon

[RainbowBrite]

Ohh a house cleaner and a dishwasher...them there are stuff fantasies are made of (well my odd ones anyway )

[MrsBexie]

lol thank Taurean.. luckily DH is awesome about it... he cooks dinner some nights now (although I have to tell him 50,000 times how to do it) and cleans up a little bit.. but the house is still a complete mess!! DOES MY HEAD IN!

[Taurean]

lol thank Taurean.. luckily DH is awesome about it... he cooks dinner some nights now (although I have to tell him 50,000 times how to do it) and cleans up a little bit.. but the house is still a complete mess!! DOES MY HEAD IN!

I hated the mess - and constantly nagging DH to do more, hence the cleaner I honestly did wonder if I'd ever feel normal again, ever be able to cook, clean, get myself and DD ready and live some kind of normal existence but I did. Around the 5 month mark, things felt really normal again and I was back hosting dinner parties for a dozen

My DH was excellent help, still is, but boy did he have to raise the bar to keep me sane Oh, and he still gets a regular boot up the butt!

[~Stoked~]

We are just about to hire a cleaner too. Just fortnightly to do the floors and bathrooms. DH suggested it ages ago but I felt too guilty then but he is about to start working away (4 weeks on, one week off) and I'll have all his regular jobs to do as well so I feel ok about it now!
Daily stuff though, I unstack dishwasher in the mornings, drop DD off at school, clean up breakfast dishes, fold washing while Oprah is on (during DS's nap), Generally tidy all day, I rarely sit down to be honest. I'd like to start cooking dinner during DS's nap too (as he gets so grumpy in the evenings) but that just doesn't happen!
I have a tidy house but don't vacuum/mop/clean bathrooms/de-cobweb nearly as often as I'd like. I do a mad clean if someone is visiting, I hate when people drop in unexpectedly!
I have my lazy days though, where nothing gets done. Today was one of them! Ah well, guess I'll catch up tomorrow!

[BeautifulMadness]

Well i have two kids preg with #3......

i do feel swamped but if i keep on top of it all....it works out

ill set aside a day for ironing, one for folding laundry

My house isnt spotless and never will be unless i hire someone to do it for me...

[kewtiepie85]

I find it hard enough with one!!! She doesnt sleep enough for me to get a substantial amount done in the day. I bow down to mums with 2+ kids who still manage to cook, clean, do school pick ups, paid work etc